One thing we can all agree on - Heading north on the weekends every summer. One thing we can’t seem to agree on - where we are going.

Are we going to the cabin? Or are we going to the cottage?

That escape to the northwoods we all love and look forward to, but can’t seem to agree on between state boundary slang. Most of us here based in Minneapolis tend to call it our cabin, but thats typically due to family and cultural tradition (seeing as how many of our neighboring states refer to their home-away-from-home as their cottage). According to Google, the official definitions are:

Photo: @davey Photo: @sojourner_215

cot·tageˈkädij/noun: cottage; plural noun: cottages1. a small simple house, typically one near a lake or beach. * a dwelling forming part of a farm establishment, used by a worker.

On the other hand...

Photo: @the.cwolf Photo: @mattmaderic

cab·inˈkabən/noun: cabin; plural noun: cabins1. a small shelter or house, made of wood and situated in a wild or remote area.

As you can see, according to the experts, it all comes down to this: Cottages are multipurpose homes typically around a body of water, while cabins are wooden structures tucked away in the woods. Cottages are also finished homes typically having running water, electricity, and other modern amenities. Cabins on the other hand are not expected to have these amenities and are usually placed remotely.

According to us lake-minded people, they’re both a place to spend the summer months with friends and family, soaking up the warm weather, and escaping from the weekly responsibilities back home. In the end it may just come down to each individual perspective, but as long as were all enjoying our time up north, we can collectively agree on how great it is to escape to the lake - no matter what you want to call it.